The New York Red Bulls saw DOGSO turn their game against Atlanta on the weekend into a dog’s breakfast. The Vancouver Whitecaps, meanwhile, are just dog-tired as they get set for their fourth game in 13 days.

But both teams have distanced themselves from the doghouse by posting character-driven results that moved them up the standings against the odds.

Derek Cornelius, in just his fourth appearance of the season, pulled the Whitecaps out of the fire with a 94th-minute equalizer against Sporting Kansas City on the weekend, salvaging a point in a match in which the Caps went up a man, then finished the game with 10 after an injury to Doneil Henry.

Thirty-five minutes into their Eastern Conference final rematch with Atlanta, the Red Bulls found themselves shorthanded after former Whitecaps centre back Tim Parker fouled forward Josef Martinez. Referee Robert Sibiga judged him to be guilty of Denial Of a Goal Scoring Opportunity (a.k.a. DOGSO), a call more critically described as dog, umm … feces by most viewers.

The Whitecaps (3-6-4), with just one loss in their last five games, have put their six-game winless start in the rear-view mirror. Likewise, the Red Bulls (5-5-2) have won four of their last five after starting the season with just a single victory in their first seven games (1-5-2).

Vancouver coach Marc Dos Santos sees an organization that’s similar in philosophy to what he’s trying to create with the Whitecaps and chided critics for piling on New York during its early struggles.

“There are teams that are culturally strong and people go crazy when they have three games in a row without winning. But they’re always there, they’re always there at the end,” he said ahead of Wednesday’s game at Red Bull Arena (5 p.m. PT, TSN, TSN 1040).

The Red Bulls’ Bradley Wright-Phillips (left) and the Whitecaps’ Yordy Reyna — pictured in action last season at B.C. Place Stadium — have been their club’s respective offensive stars, but both are currently sidelined with leg injuries.DARRYL DYCK /
THE CANADIAN PRESS files

“It’s very clear what they do from the first team into the USL team and their academy. Players that are brought up … all have the type of identity and DNA that the club wants, so we know exactly what we’re going to face.”

Red Bulls coach Chris Armas bristled Tuesday when asked if the dramatic 1-0 win over last year’s league champions was a new start for his club, considering its rocky start to the season.

“It’s amazing for me, honestly,” he said. “We don’t talk too much about the past, but we won the Supporters’ Shield last year. No one really expected that — I mean, who does? — no one talked about it. I’m revisiting it because we start the year, and things don’t go our way early on. It’s ‘who are the Red Bulls? What’s wrong?’ … It’s just negative about the New York Red Bulls.

“This foundation that we’ve talked about, about being strong to sustain through tough times, it started years ago. It starts in the playoff run last year, in tough moments when we get injuries … it just seems, to be honest, people don’t talk about the good things New York Red Bulls do, and only attack in (our) tougher times. They skip over the Columbus series in the playoffs last year, and go right to the game we fall apart in Atlanta. It’s just negative.

“So when I see a team every day stick together … and chip away, and see the belief grow, (what) I see the other day was a result — that wasn’t a starting point — that was a result of a team staying strong.”

The organizational integration of the Red Bulls, from academies in the U.S., Ghana and Brazil to their top-tier clubs in RB Leipzig (German Bundesliga), FC Red Bull Salzburg (Austrian Bundesliga) and NYRB gives the club a continuity and depth few can match. Even Armas came up through the system, serving as an assistant from 2015 until 2018, when Jesse March moved on to RB Leipzig as an assistant. New York won its final five games under Armas to capture its third Supporters’ Shield.

The Red Bulls find talent, and they develop it, even domestically.

NEXT GAME

Wednesday

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. New York Red Bulls

5 p.m. Pacific, Red Bull Arena, TV: TSN; Radio: TSN 1040 AM

Their last three goal-scorers — Sean Nealis, Brian White and Tom Barlow — were all found in the past two MLS SuperDrafts.

Nealis stepped in at centre back when Parker went out vs. Atlanta, and the team didn’t skip a beat, despite ceding 66.7 per cent of possession to the Red Stripes.

Barlow, who didn’t even have an MLS contract until May, became the 13th different Red Bulls player to score for them this season, when his far-post header off an assist from Nealis beat Atlanta’s Brad Guzan on Sunday. Impressively, they’ve had 10 different scorers combine for 11 goals in the past seven games.

The Red Bulls have had at least two academy players in their starting XI or a substitute in 13 of their 16 total games this season, and when Omir Fernandez signed a contract in January, it represented the 21st homegrown and 23rd academy product to ink a first-team deal with the club. And this is a team that’s seen 26 of its 29 first-team players see minutes this year — tops in MLS.

Down starting centre back Aaron Long, the 2018 defensive player of the year, and Bradley Wright-Phillips, the fastest player to 100 MLS goals, New York has dealt with extensive injury issues this season. Dos Santos is hoping his club can do the same, now without its own starting centre back (Henry), and two starting forwards (Yordy Reyna, Lass Bangoura). Midfielders Felipe and Jon Erice are both nursing injuries, but both could see action against New York.

“It’s very demanding, the schedule of MLS, and injuries are going to happen. It tests the type of roster that you have, and it also gives opportunities for guys to show that they belong and they deserve minutes,” said Dos Santos.

“Recovery is essential. Right after the Red Bull game, we get on another flight (home) to prepare for Dallas on Saturday. So we’re putting everything into account. Some guys won’t be fully recovered for sure, for the game against the Red Bulls, so for sure there will be some rotation.

“We’ve always said that everybody is going to be important, and in stretches like that, it challenges the depth we have and the character we have.”